Navigating the Waves of Social “ME”dia
One social media faux pas can swamp a student-athletes future
UNSCRIPTED
By Keith Edmonds
Of Fort Wayne Ink Spot
During the time we’ve been away from viewing in-person sports, I’ve had the opportunity to see and read what players and coaches are doing to keep themselves relevant in the eyes of their particular high school, AAU organization or, more importantly, in the view of the nation’s top collegiate programs. For the average student, social media is an entertaining and enjoyable way to communicate with family and friends. For the student-athlete, however, social media can be both a blessing and a curse.
Social media popularity – and the public scrutiny it attracts – continues to grow at a rapid pace. Critical commentary, compromising photos and other questionable content make for some uncomfortable conversations, embarrassing introductions and even legal troubles.
I read where one college coach stated: “Each student-athlete should read each Tweet or Instagram post about 95 times before they send it. A reputation takes years and years and years to build, and it takes one press of a button to ruin it. So student-athletes, it’s okay to join the world of social media junkies, just be very smart about it.”
College coaches pay close attention to how potential recruits handle themselves on social media. They have assistants and pay to have someone sit daily to watch social media posts of their top recruits! This is not to scare recruits but to keep student-athletes aware that many eyes will be on sites. So, student-athletes must make informed decisions before they press SEND!
Social media outlets are a valuable resource that can be an awesome tool for student-athletes to use as they move forward in the recruiting process. The key point is that it must be understood that the keyboards that are in front of them can make or break them in one swift key press!
I believe there are times that athletes should allow their talents to speak for them and not feel that they need to advertise themselves as the “Second Coming.” If you are that talented, colleges will find you. Students should form a “circle of trust” that will be involved in helping them make their final decisions and assist them in this process. They should use the tools that are in front of them but do not let those very same tools abuse them.